Educational appliance.



S. J. SPITLER.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE. APPLICATION man MAY 21. 1914.

1,138,807. Patented May 11, 1915. 1

lnuanXov San 1 6610mm THE NORRIS PETERS CO1. PHOTO-LITHO-, WASHINGTON, D, C.

ED s'ra'rns PATENT orrro. t

snrrr J. SPITLER, or GREENVILLE, MICHIGAN.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

calm and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Educational Appliances; and I do hereby i declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

This invention relates to educational appliances with especial reference to that type of appliance used in assisting pupils in the operation of counting, and it is the object of the invention to construct a device of this character and provide it with various novel and meritorious features of function and construction as will appear from the following description and the claims appended thereto, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the lin 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view as it appears when taken on the line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a section taken on line 4+4, F 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The bodyof the device is comprised of an open frame .1 secured to a base plate 2 by means of the turned back edges 3 of the base receiving the horizontal edges 4 of the frame 1, it being evident that the open frame comprised of the hollow metallic side and end members forming the frame 1 will have its outersides sufficiently resilient that the horizontal edges 4 may be readily positioned to enter the spaces formed by the turned back edges at ;3 as shown. The side and end members of the open frame 1 are each comprised of two spaced apart vertical members connected by a horizontal member, the outer of the vertical members having the horizontal portions 4 heretofore described while the inner of the Vertical members have, at their lower edges, portions bent horizontally therefrom and terminating in beads 5 adapted to pass under metallic clips 6 secured to the base 2 as shown in Fig. 2, the free ends of such clips being bent over the beads 5 by use of any suitable tool inserted through the openings 7 formed substantially at the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented BIay 11, 1915. Applicationfile d May 21,1914. Serial No. 839,960. '2 l i junction of the horizontal and inner vertica'l members of. the frame 1, the clips when bent as stated serving to secure the. frame 1 in fixed relation to the'base as will be evi dent. The number of clips 6 and openings 7' may be varied at will. 2

Referring to Fig. 1, the right and left members of the framel have formed on the inner vertical portions thereof the depressions 8 made by'bending or stamping the metal about midway between the top and bottom of said vertical portions foruse in frictionally retaining the counting frame comprised of a series of parallel rods 9 having at each end sections 10 turned at right angles to the main sections of the rods, which ends are seated between the two plates forming the end connecting members of the counting frame as shown, the outer of such plates being provided with a bead adapted to seat in the depressions 8 and having turned back edges for the securing of the companion plate in place, it also being provided with, a bead located in opposition to the head in the first plate, providinga space for the reception of the ends 10 of the rods 9 as. shown in Figs' 2 and 8. The end frame members comprised of these two connected plates are denoted as a whole by reference character 11 a and serve to hold and retain in parallel spaced relation, the rods 9 on which are strung a plurality of movable counters 12.

It willbe apparent that with the beads on the members 11 seated in the depressions 8; of the frame members of the frame 1, the

counting frame will besecured against all accidental displacement in substantially fixed relation with respect to the frame and base 1 and 2, but that when desired, the.

counting frame as a whole may be removed from the well formed by frame 1 and base 2, the rods 9 being subject to bending sufficientlytoallow the disengagement of the counting frame and for permitting its ready replacement. Itwill be noted that the ends.

of the members 11 arebent at right angles as at 13 serving to guide the counting frame,

in its positioning in the frame 1. By removal ofthe counting frame, it is very easy to clean out anygdust, dirt or Other foreign ,matter that has entered the well below the rods 9, the advantage of which will be relation from the said frame member therelower headed ends of buttons 15 as will later appear. At one end of the plate 1 is positioned a disk 16, pivotally mounted and lying in the same plane as plate 1 and hav ing a plurality of notches 17 in the periphery for the reception of the shanks of the buttons 15, guard members 18 lying'closely adjacent the disk 16 and holding the buttons in the notches 17 except when a notch 17 comes in conjunction with the slot 19 made vin the guard 18 and which communicates directly with a slot 20 extending substantially the whole length of the plate 1 there being a series of notches 21 along the length of the slot 20 in which the shank of any button 15 may be placed to hold the button in place against movement along the slot until moved out of the notch in which it maybe held. In close proximity to the notches 21 are placed a number of characters 22, one

adjacent each notch and, as shown, these characters are Arabic numerals beginning with 1 at one end of the slot 20 and ending with Oat the other end. The buttons 15 are also provided with similar characters so that it will be clear when a button is moved to occupy a notch 21 its character in conjunction with the character' adjacent the notch will make a number having two digits and that any number between 10 and 99 inclusive may be indicated if desired. There may be also provided a second slot 14 spaced from slot 20 and communicating in similar manner with thenotches in disk 16 when it is turned to proper position so that a third series of numerals may be formed and any number having three digits produced 1f desired. For instance the button 15 having the character 1 is shown opposite character 2 making the number 12 A third numeral may be introduced in the slot 1 1, for example, the numeral 6 and the number made 126. The number of notches in the disk 16 isnot material but may be increased indefinitely to provide places for a great number of buttons 15.

From the foregoing it will be clear that I have constructed a new and improved structure in counting frames which may be used in schools in assisting pupils in numerical exercises and have in conjunction therewith made a novel device for keeping in mind or tallying the results arrived at. The structure is simple and compact, easily manufactured, has no parts liable to get out of order and is therefore especially economical, eli icient' and durable. Various changes in detail may be resorted to without departing from my invention which is defined in the appended claims, all modifications in struc-,'

ture falling within their scope being comprehended in my invention.

Having thus descr bed my invention, what openwell is formed above the base, a counting frame having a plurality of spaced apart rods and end members connectedto the 'rods, and means for retaining said end members frictionally within the well by engagement thereof with opposed members of the said frame.

3. In a device of the character described, a base, a frame connected to the base comprised of spaced apart members whereby an open well is formed above the base, opposed sides of the frame having depressions formed therein, a counting frame comprised of spaced apart parallel rods having ends turned at right angles to the bodies of the rods, end members receiving the ends of the rods and connecting them together, said end members having beads formed therein adapted to seat in the depressions in the sides of said frame whereby said counting frame may be detachably retained in the well by engagement with the said sides of the frame. r

4.111 a device of the character described, a base plate having its edges turned back for a distance forming receiving pockets, a frame formed of a channel member having spaced apart vertical sides and a horizontal connecting member at the upper ends therefor a distance to form receiving pockets, a

frame having spaced apart members, each member comprised of outer and inner vertical portions connected at their upper ends by an integral horizontal portion, horizontal flanges formed at the lower ends of the outer vertical portions and seating in the receiving pockets, horizontally located projections extending from the lower ends of the inner portions, each of said projections terminating in a bead, and clips secured to the said base for receiving said beads and securing the said frame members in fixed relation to the base.

6. In a device of the character described, a base, an open frame connected to the base, a counting frame detachably held within the open frame, a slotted plate secured to one member of the frame and spaced a distance above said member, buttons having indicating characters provided for positioning at various positions along the length of the slotted plate, means for retaining the said buttons in a desired position, andindicating characters on the plate adjacent said means.

7 In a device of the character described, a base, an open frame connected to the base, a counting frame detachably held within the openframe, a slotted plate secured to one member of the open frame and spaced a distance above said member, buttons having indicating characters movable in the slotted plate, a disk pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the plate, means provided in the periphery of the disk for receiving andearrying the buttons, said means adapted to communicate With, the slot of the slotted plate on pivotal movement of the disk Whereby the buttons may be carried from the disk to the plate and vice versa.

8. In a device of the character described,

a base, an open frame connected to the base, a counting frame detachably held Within the open frame, a slotted plate secured to one member of'the open frame and spaced a distance above said member, buttons having indicating characters thereon movable in the slot of the slotted plate, a disk pivotally mounted adj acent, the end of the plate and lying in the same plane, notches in the disk, a guard member surrounding the disk, said guard member being slottedopposite the slot in the slotted plate, and indicating characters on the slotted plate along the length of the slot therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses. V

R. C. EoKnR, A. J. EcKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

